First Grade News!
Sharing the Planet
Sharing the Planet-Inquiry into Opportunity, Distribution of Resources, and Relief Efforts!
Transdisciplinary Theme: Sharing the Planet
Central idea: The availability of resources affects a community's wealth.
Key concepts: Connection, Causation, Responsibility
Lines of inquiry
- Distribution of natural and human made resources
- How opportunity impacts a community
- Efforts to distribute resources equally
Here's a look at what we've been doing, and what's to come...
- Throughout provocation week, students have brainstormed key words related to our central idea and theme. They've put so much thought into what our central idea could be (it was not revealed to them until the end of provocation week!). Now at our final UOI of the year, I am really so proud of the IB students they've become, thinking conceptually and showing so much enthusiasm for learning throughout the UOI.
- Students have explored how the availability of resources or materials impacts one's ability to accomplish certain tasks or fulfill needs. When exploring lines of inquiry 1 and 2, we will go further with this idea, and figure out how this applies to the real world, and on a global level. We will look at places around the world where resources such as electricity, water, and food are limited-and examine how this impacts life. We will examine our own lives and determine how the opportunity and resources we have allows us to function and thrive.
- We will also examine the question, "What is a resource?" and distinguish between natural resources and human made resources.
Some UOI Vocabulary: opportunity, resources, natural, human-made
Key Concept-Causation in the UOI
How opportunity impacts a community
Key Concept-Responsibility in the UOI
Efforts to distribute resources equally
Key Concept-Connection in the UOI
Distribution of natural and human-made resources
More About What Are We Learning in this UOI
Math
Here are the concepts we'll be working on in Math!
- We will continue to work on addition and subtraction, all with a focus on place value
- We will work with numbers up to 40
- We will work on adding ones to ones and tens to tens, with some regrouping; this is foundational work for working with larger numbers and sums in 2nd grade and beyond.
- Students will work on using various strategies to solve problems and working through the process, including using number bonds and drawing "quick tens"
Daily 5-English Language Arts
We continue to use the Daily 5 model to guide our Reading/Language Arts instruction. During Daily 5, students receive a burst of whole group instruction followed by working independently on a meaningful task while I conference with individual students and small groups. During this time, students are working on reading fluency, reading comprehension, reading skills and strategies, vocabulary, sight words, writing, and spelling.
Vocabulary Words
delighted, mischief, splendid, stun, grateful, romp, sprinkle, groan, selfish, stormy, attach, dainty, jealous, silent, complete, damage, misty, create, edge, roam (continued)
new words: anxious, limp, creak, plead, drowsy, polite, exchange, trust, footprint, whimper
Sight Words
Updated individual sight word lists have been taped into the blue folders. These lists will be updated every 1-2 weeks, or as students master the words. Please practice these words from time to time with your child, in order to help him/her build fluency while reading. These words often do not follow common Spelling conventions, so it is important students learn to recognize them in print, by their Form. Many of our students are now on 2nd grade sight words! Masha Allah!
Phonics/Spelling
We will continue with some "vowel team" combinations. In addition, we will work on consonant digraphs, found in different parts of a word (beginning, middle, or end). We will continue to work on the "stretch the sound" strategy when reading and spelling. Here are the focus patterns and spelling words for the next few weeks:
"th" consonant digraph:
thorn, thank, thin, them, third, thick, moth, thing, health, tooth, month, cloth, with, path, both
"ch" consonant digraph:
chart, chin, child, chips, chop, each, such, lunch, chest, catch, cheep, cheek, cheer, march, bunch
"ay" team (continued)
clay, day, play, hay, pray, jay, stay, lay, tray, pay, relay, ray, today, say, away
"y" as a vowel sound (continued)
any, baby, battery, belly, berry, body, bony, brainy, buggy, carry, cherry, chilly, city, cloudy, copy, daisy, dizzy, dolly, early, easy, every, ferry, hairy, icy, jelly, lady, party, penny, potty, pretty, salty, shiny, sorry, sticky, tidy, tiny, ugly, very, windy, worry, daddy
Writing
We are very excited that our class book has been published, alhamdullilah! If you ordered a copy, it was sent home on Tuesday afternoon. All students wrote a story and highlighted one Learner Profile attribute in their story. They've titled the book, "Stories about the Learner Profile." For those who did not order a copy, if you'd like to "check out" our class copy, please just send me an email, and I will send it home with your child, in sha Allah.
We've continued to work on our individual books, which will be a compilation of student writing, completed through the Writing Process. The first two pieces are topic/research writing pieces, where students have chosen a topic and written about the topic using their prior knowledge. Students then read about the topic and added more details to their writing. We are learning to add titles and concluding sentences to our writing, as well as gain more independence in revising and editing our work. Our students are currently in the final stages of these informational/topic writing pieces. The next writing piece in their book will be an opinion piece, where students will state their opinion on a topic, and supply a reason for their opinion.
Comprehension
We will continue to work on applying the following strategies while reading:
- making connections within one text (e.g. cause/effect, compare/contrast two characters, etc.)
In addition, we will work on other CAFE strategies to improve our accuracy, comprehension, and vocabulary. These are:
- infer & support with evidence from the text
- using word parts to determine meaning (e.g. prefixes and suffixes)
- distinguishing between action and describing words
- determining author's purpose
Arabic, Quran, and Islamic Studies with Ms. Sanchez
Arabic:
During this UOI Students will explore the different modes of transportation(وسائل النقل والمواصلات ). While learning about transportation, students will also earn key verbs to help the form sentences utilizing the modes of transportation vocabulary. Verbs such as to mount (ركب) and to dismount (نزل ). Students will also learn vocabulary for man-made and natural resources.
Standards:
· Presentational Speaking
1. Novice Mid-I can name various modes of transportation.
· Presentational Writing
2. I can write about something I have learned.
Islamic Studies:
During this UOI, Students will focus on the preservation of natural resources. They will learn how to not waste water (when making wudu) and food. They will also learn how to build good character by helping those around them such as their communities, classmates, and families.
Standards:
The following manners of eating and drinking should be taught (plus reinforcing what was taught in the previous grades): a. Always share your food if you see someone with no food. b. Don't start eating if you are in a group until everyone is ready and the Du’aa was said. c. Don't make a mess and clean up your own place. d. Don't throw food away. Save it in a wrapper and eat it later. Refrigerate it if you need to. C.After eating we say, "Alhamdulillahil lathee at 'ammna wa saqana wa ja 'alnaa min al muslimeen." "Praise Allah who gave us food and drink and made us Muslims."
· A Muslim doesn't waste food. Whatever we don't eat, we either give away or take back home.
Quran:
During this unit students will be enhancing their reading skills through the completion of Surah Taha. While reading this Surah, students will learn the tafseer of each ayah. Surah Taha’s main attraction is the story of Prophet Musa (alahi salam). The Surah starts with the beginning of his prophecy and continues through his amazing journey to conquer Pharaoh.
Standards:
· General meaning of Surah Taha
· Students can read from any verse of the Quran with fluency and correct pronunciation
Art with Ms. Taame
Creating art installation using buttons and other recycled materials
Abstract sculpture using painted recycled cardboard
Using brown paper to create pastel/charcoal sketchbook
Targeted MSDE Standards:
3.0 Creative Expression and Production: Students will demonstrate the ability to organize knowledge and ideas for expression in the production of art.
1. Create images and forms from observation, memory, imagination, and feelings
a. Experiment with art media, processes, and techniques and describe ways they can be used to express thoughts and feelings
2. Investigate a variety of ways that artists develop ideas and organize the elements of art in response to what they see, know, and feel
Please Support Our Class Pets
Alhamdullillah, our baby guinea pigs have all been adopted. In another 2 weeks, when they've stopped nursing, they will go to their new homes, in sha Allah. Until then, we will continue to need basic supplies for their care. Any contribution would be greatly appreciated. We are most in need of bedding and hay.
Students engage in a provocation about limited resources.
Contact Information
- Ms. Aboubakr - haboubakr@tarbiyahacademy.org (Hmrm)
Email: info@tarbiyahacademy.org
Website: http://www.tarbiyahacademy.com
Location: 6785 Business Parkway, Elkridge, MD, United States
Phone: 844-827-2492
Facebook: facebook.com/tarbiyahacademy